Comments on: Science Fiction Magazines Part II – Marketing In Meatspace

By: Thoughts on the BSI « Torque Control

Thoughts on the BSI « Torque Control — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:03:48 +0000

[...] follows on, of course, from the latest round of discussions about sf magazines and the survival thereof. But you should go and have a look [...]

By: Sam Lubell

Sam Lubell — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:18:17 +0000

I think the sf magazines have decided that they get so little money from the Publishing
Clearinghouse and school magazine sales that they’ve stopped, even though this could be a good way to get younger people who will then be subscribers for life.

By: Edward Greaves

Edward Greaves — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:42:58 +0000

I don’t think I’ve ever had a direct mail advert for any of the big three. And I’ve been approached for magazine subscriptions through direct mail before.

What’s more, I went through a period of three years, when it seemed every one of my neices and nephews were doing magazine subscription fundraisers. Even door to door sales from kids trying to fundraise for school, and every time I got a list, I checked to see if one of the Big Three were on the list so I could subscribe, looking for that nice win-win situation. Not a one. I “settled” for Wired, and “Scientific American.” And Wired ran good enough re-up promotions that I kept it for two more years before letting it lapse.

By: Tim Akers

Tim Akers — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:01:28 +0000

I’m going to comment briefly on direct mail, but only because it happens to be my business. I’m just a data processor at a direct mail house, but my wife worked for several years at a major fundraising house, and we both continue to work with that house in various functions.

Paolo has it right, absolutely. The business of subscriber (or donor) cultivation is complicated, it requires a lot of testing and number crunching and analysis, and it is absolutely dependent on direct mail. No one likes junk mail, but the fact is that it works.